Machine for shrinking felt articles



l April28,.1925.

1,535,325 w. A. LORENZ MACHINE FOR SHRINKING FELT vAH'IIGILIS Fiied June25, 192:5 2 sheets-sheet 1 et; ng. 1

Invenor April 28, 1925.

MACHINE FOR SHRINKING FELT ARTICLES Filed June 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2W. lv-e-nkar' Arizez/ Patented Apr. 28,. 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. LORENZ, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR T0 'UNITELP STATES HAT MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF VIR- GINIA.

Application filed June 25, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LORENZ, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford,

State of Connecticut, have invented certain g new and usefulImprovements in a Machine for Shrinking Felt Articles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates tomachines for shrinking and felting hat bats andthe like, and has particular reference to a machine of the sort having abelt (or belts) passing between a plurality of rolls and adapted tosupport the bats in unrolled condition, the bats as they are carried bythe belt between the rolls being kneaded, manipulated, or worked, andbeing maintained in a saturated condition, whereby the bats are feltedand shrunk. A

The aim of the present invention is to provide a. machine of this sorthaving various features of' novelty and advantage, and more particularlyto provide an improved arrangement of belts; to provide the machine withmeans for preventing the bats from leaving the working face of thebatcarrying belt and winding themselves upon rthe rolls engaging saidface, and to provide, in combination with the bat-carrying belt,improved pressure rollers and deflecting rolls, which engage and operateupon the bats as the latter are carried forward by the belt.

Other objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will bedescribed more in detail hereinafter. In the accompanying drawings, Ihave shown, by way of exemplitication, one form or embodiment which thepresent invention may take, but it is to be understood that this showingis .merely illustrative and is not to be taken as restrictive of myconception, it `being obvious that my improvedv machine is susceptibletovarious modifications and changes which would be within the spirit ofthe invention, Without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In these drawings;

Figure 1 is a. top plan view of the machine, the pipes fordelivering/water onto tliefbat-carrying belt being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of the MACHINE FOR SHRINKING FELTARTICLES.

serial N. 647,587.

machine in vertical longitudinal section, this view beingtakensubstantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of themachine. I Figs 4 and 5 are detail views showing diagranimat-ically themanner in which the waviness of the path which the bat-carryiiig belt iscaused to follow, is determined.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine has frame of anysuitable construction, as for instance,- a pair of side framesv 10,ltied together in any approved manner. Arranged circularly within theframe are a plurality of guide rolls between which suitable belts carrythe bats in an unrolled condition and substantially in the path of thecircle. In thepresent instance, these rolls are arranged in staggeredrelation so that the path of the bats, while generally circular, is alsowavy, resulting in the bats being progressively bent to and fro as theyare passed through the machine. These guide rolls are here shown asconsisting of a plurality of circularly arranged supporting rolls l1,constituting a circulaitrackway for one of the belts, and deflecting orwave rolls interposed between the supporting rolls. The deflecting rollsat the top of the machine are designated by 12, and those at the bottomof the machine by 12. In the resent illustrative disclosure oftlieinvention, these deflecting rolls are fixed against other than rotarymovement in the frame, but it is evident thatthey may be madeadjustable, if preferred. Running on the circular trackway provided bythe supporting rolls 11, and deflected or waved, atintervals, by thedeflecting rolls 12, is a ybat-carrying belt 13, which may be extendedforwardly at the front of the machine, as a-t 14, so as to provide abat-receiving portion, on which the bats are placed as they arel fedinto themachine. Passing between the supporting rolls 11 and thedeflecting rolls 12 at the bottom of the machine is also a belt 15 whichis in contact with, and travels at substantially the same speed as theother belt 13 on the lower or return run of the latter. The workingface, that is that face against which the bats engage, of the belt 13,is pro-vided with a multiplicity of knuckles which serve the purpose ofmanipib' lating or kneading the bats at a very great number of points,thus greatly facilitating the felting and shrinking action.

In addition to the deiecting rolls 12, there are provided a plurality ofpressure rollers which engage the working face of the belt 13 and thebats carried thereby. These pressure rollers are designated by 16, therebeing two pressure rollers associated with each supporting roll at thetop of the machine, which means that there are two pressure rollers 16between adjacent deflecting rolls 12, 12. The pressure rollers 16 areurged against the belt with the desired pressure in any suit-ablemanner. For instance, they may be supported in the arms of levers 17,pivoted to the gudgeons 18, of the deecting rolls, and the radiallyextending arms of the levers may be connected, in pairs, by tensionsprings 19.

The deflecting rolls 12 and the pressure rollers 16, which engage theworking face of the belt 13 at the top of the machine, may be smooth butpreferably they are provided with a multiplicity of projections similarto theI knuckles or projections on the working face of the belt 13.These knuckles or projections are preferably elastic, andv to this end,they may be formed of rubber. Also, by preference, they have 'apyramidal shape.

The face of the belt 15, which co-operates with the belt 13 to carry thebats through the rolls at the bottom of the machine, is made smooth inthe present instance. l At the forward end of the machine, andimmediately beneath the receiving portion 14 of the belt 13, the belt 15is extended forwardly in order to provide a bat delivery position, fromwhich the batsmay be removed, after they have passed through themachine, and placed on the portion 14 of the knuckled belt. The extentof the deflection or wave imparted to the belt 13 as it passes betweenthe supporting and deflecting rolls, may be varied or altered bychanging the size of these rolls. If the bats are relatively thinor`soft, they may be easily damaged and the degree of waviness in theAbelt should be less, and in this instance, the rolls should berelatively small, as shown in Fig. 5. In case the bats are stronger andtherefore may be subjected to a more severe treatment, the rolls may belarger to increase the waviness 'of the belt, as shown in Fig. 4.

As the bats pass beneath the detlecting rolls 12 and the pressure rolls16, they may have a tendency to leave the Working face of the belt 13and wrap themselves around these cylindrical members. In order to avoidthis, I provide means for stripping, so to speak, the bats from thesurfaces of the rolls 12 and rollers 16. In the present instance, thesestrippers are shown as being in the form of plates 20, having theirinner,

or operative edges 21 adjacent to the belt 13, but sutiiciently removedtherefrom so as not to bear on the bats as they are carried beneath thestrippers by the belt. These strippers extend, generally, longitudinallyof the machine, and are spaced apart transversely thereof. In order toaccommodate the strippers, the rolls 12, and the rollers 16 are formedin Sectio-ns, between which the strippers are positioned, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 1. The strippers 20 are suitably slotted so as to clearthe shafts on which the sections of the rolls and rollers are mounted.Preferably,these strippers are removable, and to this end, they arecarried by transversely extending rods 22, the ends of which areremovably received by slots 23 in brackets 24 suitably secured to theupper portions of the side frames 10.

In order to facilitate the shrinking and felting operation of the bats,they are maintained in a saturated condition as they pass betweenv theguide rolls at the top of the machine, and to this end, I provide abovethe machine, pipes 25, from which scalding hot water is sprinkled orsprayed on the working face of the belt 13 and on theA bats carriedthereby. In the present instance, water is not supplied to the bats asthey are carried on the return or bottom path of the machine, exceptwhat passes downwardly at 25 between the belts.

The operation of the machine brieiiy, is as follows:

A bat, such as that indicated by B, is placed upon the receiving portion14 of the belt 13,`and this belt carries the bats beneath the deflectingrolls 12, and the pressure rollers 16. Since the belt is given a zigzagor wavy course, and the working face of the belt 13 and the rolls 12 androllers 16 engaging thereagainst are provided with a multiplicity ofkneading knuckles, the bats are manipulated and worked in such a mannerthat the fibers thereof are shrunken and felted together. The knuckleson the deiiecting rolls 12 and the pressure rollers 16 greatlyfacilitate the felting operation. The strippers prevent the bats fromleaving the working face of the belt 13 and winding themselves upon therolls and rollers engaging there-against. After the bats have passedthrough the upper portion of the machine, they ente'r the bight betweenthe belts 13 and 15, at 25, and are then carried between these belts ina zigzag course through the lower portion of the machine to the deliveryposition, to the position indicated by B. The bat may then be removed bythe operator from the delivery portion of the machine, and positioned onthe receiving portion of the belt 13 and again carried through themachine.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of -generallycircularly arranged supporting rolls forming a circular track-way, a batcarrying 'belt supported thereby for travel in a generally circularpath, a second belt paired with the firstone for a portion of thecircular path of the latter, and cylindrical members having rollingcontact with that portion of the operative face of said first belt notpaired withsaid second belt.

2. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of generallycircularly arranged support-ing rolls and deflecting rollsltherebetween, a bat carrying belt passing between said supporting rollsand defleeting rolls in a generally circular path, a second belt pairedwith the first one and passing between the supporting and de-V flectingrolls at the lower portion of the circular path, and pressure rollersbearing upon the operative face of said first belt at theupper portionof said path.

3. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of generallycircularly arranged supporting "rolls and deflecting rolls therebetween,a bat carrying belt passing between said supporting rolls and defleetingrolls in a generally circular path and having its operative faceprovided with a multiplicity of kneading knuckles, a second belt pairedwith the first one and passing between the supporting and deflectingrolls at the lower portion of the circularpath, and pressure rollersbearing upon the operative face of said first belt at the upper portionof said path.

4. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt havingits working face provided with a multiplicity of kneading knuckles,ro-lls supporting said belt, and cylindrical members engaging theworking face of said belt and having their peripheries provided with amultiplicity of knuckles.

5. In a machine of the character described, abat carrying belt havingits working face provided with aA multiplicity `of elastic kneadingknuckles, supporting rolls therefor, and deflecting rolls between saidsupporting rolls and adapted to wave said belt, said deflecting rollshaving their peripheries provided with a. multiplicity of elastickneadino' knuckles.

6. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt having amultiplicity of kneading knuckles onits workl ing face, rollssupport-ing said belt, and

pressure rollers urgedA under pressure against the working face of saidbelt and having a multiplicity of kneading knuckles on theirperipheries.

7. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt providedwith a multiplicity of kneading knuckles on its working face, supportingrolls for said belt,

deflecting rolls between said support-ing rollsand adapted to wave saidbelt, pressure rollers between said deflecting rolls and urged underpressure against the operative face of said belt, said deflecting rol sand said pressure rollers having a multiplicity of kneading knuckles ontheir peripheries.

8. In a machine of the character described, a travelling bat carryingbelt, cylindrical members having rolling engagement with the batcarrying surface thereof, and means .bridging the gaps between saidcylindrical members for preventing the bats from leaving said belt.

9. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt,cylindrical members engaging the bat carrying surface thereof, and meanssuc-h, for example, as plates extending in the direction of travel ofsaid belt and spaced apart transversely of said belt for preventing thebats from leaving the face of said belt.

l0. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt,cylindrical members engaging the bat carrying face thereof, andstationary plates having portions located between said cylindricalmembers and adjacent the bat carrying face of said belt for preventingt-he bats from leaving said face, said plates being transversely spacedapart and extending generally in the direction in which the belt ismoved.

1l. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt,cylindrical members engaging the bat carrying face thereof, a pluralityof longitudinally extending transversely spaced plates slotted toaccommodate said members and each having one edge adjacent to but spacedslightly' from the bat carrying face of said belt for preventing thebats from leaving said face.

12. In a machine of the character described, a bat carrying belt,cylindrical members engaging the bat carrying face thereof, a pluralityof `longitudinally extending transversely spaced plates slotted toaccommodate said members and each having one edge adjacent to but spacedslightly from the bat carrying face of said belt for preventing the batsfrom leaving said face, and rods supporting said plates and removablefrom the machine.

13. In a machine of the character described, a series of-.circularlyarranged supporting rolls, a bat carrying belt supported thereby', waverolls between said supporting rolls engaging the bat carrying face ofsaid belt, pressureu'ollersbetween said wave rolls also engaging-'thebat carrying face of said belt, said wave rolls and pressure rollers'each having circumferential grooves at spaced intervals,platesggpositioned in said grooves and having their inneredges adjacentto but spaced from` said belt to prevent the bats from leaving the same,and removable rod supporting said plates. l

14. In a machine of the character described, means for supporting andadvancing a bat, cylindrical members adapted to engage the bat carriedby said means, and means extending in the direction in Which vsaid batis advanced and spaced transversely apart for preventing the bats fromWinding up on said cylindrical members, said last mentioned meansintersecting the peripheries of said cylindrical members.

l5. In a machine of the character described, means for supporting andadvanc- \ing a bat, cylindrical members adapted to engage the bat, andaplurality of longitudinally extending transversely spaced membersslotted to accommodate said cylindrical members and each having an edgeadjacent to but spaced slightly romvsaid first grooves at spacedintervals, and stripper.

members extending through said grooves and intersecting the peripheriesof said cylindrical members, said stripper members extending generallyin the direction in which the bat is advanced and transversely spacedapart WILLIAM A. LORENZ.

